Belt buckle



Patented Feb. 26, 1924..

entre wILLLAnr '.r. HAEN, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

BELT BUCKLE.

Applcation'led September 24, 1923. Serial No. 664,566.

and comfortable to the wearer and .one'that is not only simple anddurable in construction, but effective in use and readily manipulated. l

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear in thefollowing description, the invention resides inthe novel combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction herein afterdescribed and claimed. l

ln the drawings, Figs. 1 `and 2 are perspective views illustrating,respectively, the front and back of a buckle embodying my invention;Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged, central, longitudinal sectional views takenas on the line fc4-av of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is a perspective view indetail or" the belt clampin member. v

eferring to the drawing, it will be observed that my invention includesa frame A and a belt clamping'member B slidable therein. rThe frame A isa channel-like structure comprising a web 10 and back turned flanges 11.Posts 12, 13 secured at their ends to said flanges 11 and space apartfrom each other and Jfrom the web 10 serve, among other things, askeepers for the member B. One end c of a belt or strap C employed inconnection with my buckle is attached to the traine A by means-oi:1 areleasable jaw D of conventional form, the other end 02 of said beltYbeing threaded through the buckle between the web 10 of the trame A andthe belt clamping member B, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The clamping member B is struck from a thin metallic strip. One end ofthis strip is turned back to form a rearwardly inclined cam portion 14.The other end of said strip is bent to lform a second rearwardlyinclined cam portion 15 and is looped back from said cam portion 15 toform a rearwardly projecting body engaging portion 16 and opposed stops17 and 18.

d the belt` and firmly The intermediate part of the strip constitutes agripper plate 19 and said plate is punched as at 20 to form a pluralityof belt engaging teeth 21. The cam portions 14, 15, which aresubstantially parallel, ride against the posts Y12, 13 and, coactingwith these abutments, cause the plate 19 to grip the beltv (Fig. 3) orrelease the same (Fig. 4), according to the longitudinal relation ofsaid member B with respect to the frameA.

The post 13 reaches through the loop in the end of the clamping member Band acting as an abutment for the stops 17, 19, limits the reversesliding movements of said member B. I

With the belt around a wearers body, the end c2 thereof is threadedbetween the member B and the web 10 of the frame A. In thus applyingsaid end of the belt, the stop 18 is employed as a linger piece forretract-y ing the member B and thereby providing for the ready insertionof the belt into the buckle. In tightening the belt, the portion 16 ofthe member B is brought against the wearers body and upon releasing saidbelt, the pressure of the body against-said portion 16 brings the plate19 against the belt. Under limited slippage of said belt, the frictionalcontact of the plate 19 therewith and the forward pressure on the bodyengaging portion 16 causes the cam portions 14 and 15 to ride in thedirection of their high sides against the .posts 12, 13. This co-actionVof said cam portions and posts clamps the plate 19 from end to endagainst grips said belt in the frame A. The cam portions 14, 15 yieldslightly in wedging against the posts, thus rendering the member Bself-compensating to variations in belts. Traversing the high sides ofthe cam portions 14, 15 are recesses or scores 14', 15` which areengaged by the posts 12, 13, when the member B is shifted to beltclamping position (Fig. 3). The

engagement of said posts with the scores in said cam portions yieldinglylatches said member B against retraction and this, together with thepressure of a wearers body against the body engaging portion 16, firmlyholds the member B in belt gripping position.

ln releasing the grip of the buckle upon the end c2 of the belt, saidend of the belt is drawn into the buckle far enough to retract themember B (Fig. 4) and remove the sesY ters Patent is:

pressure of the plate 19 from the belt. The stop 18 may be employed as afinger piece to aid in thus retracting said member and to hold the sameretracted while the belt is drawn out of the buckle. Y Y

Among the several distinctive advantages resident in my improvement,particular attention is invited to the following: The plate 19 affords abelt gripping surface of substantial area. rlhe resiliency of this plateand of the cam portions 14, 15 renders the member B self-compensating tovarations in belts, yet aords a positive gripping action. The postengaging scores 14, 15 in the cam portions 14, 15 yieldingly latch theclamping member B. The body engaging portion 16 on the member Bsupplements the frictional locking action of the belt on said member Band the latching acf tion of the post engaging scores 14', 15 in the camportions 14, 15. Said body engaging portion 16 serves as aid in.bringing the member B into belt clamping position and the stop 18serves as a finger piece in retracting said member from said positionand thus holding the same while a belt is withdrawn from the Y buckle.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Let- 1. In a belt buckle, a channel-like frame and a member slidabletherein for clamping a strap against the web of said frame, said membercomprising a resilient metallic strip, one end being turned back to forma yielding cam portion, the other end of said strip being bent to form asecond yielding cam portion, and looped back from said second cam4portion to form a rearwardly projecting body engaging portion andopposed stops, two posts secured at their ends to the flanges of theframe and comprising keepers for said member, one of said posts beingarranged within the looped end of said clamping member and providing anabutment for coactionwith the cam portion and stops thereon, the otherpost loeing arranged for co-action with the camv a finger piece to'portion at the opposite end of said member, said cam portions beingscored to yieldingly catch said posts. Y v Y 2. In a belt buckle, achannel-like frame and a member slidable therein for clamping a strapagainst the web of said frame, said member comprising a metallic strip,one end being turned back to forma cam portion,

.the other end of said strip being bent to form a second cam portion,and looped back from said second cam portion to form a body engagingportion and opposed stops, two posts secured at their ends to theflanges of the frame and comprising keepers for said member, one of saidposts being arranged within the looped end of said clamping member andproviding an abutment for co-action withV the cam portion and stopsthereon, the other post being arranged for co-action with the camportion at the 0pposite end of said member.

3. In a belt buckle, a channel-like frame and a member slidable thereinfor clamping a strap against the web of said frame,

said member comprising a metallic strip,"

one end being turned back to form a cam portion, the other end of saidstrip being bent to yform a second cam portion, and looped back fromsaid second cam portion to f orm a rearwardly projecting body enportionfor engaging the body of a wearer,

an abutment carried bythe frame for coaction with said cam portion, saidbody engaging portion being adapted to forcibly bring said plate intocontact with the belt and thereby promote positiveness of action betweensaid cam portion and abutment.

ln testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

1 WILLIAM fr. HAEN.

